Laurie’s journey from Australia to Germany in 2013 marked the beginning of a transformative chapter in her life. Running a coffee shop in Frankfurt, she quickly found herself immersed in a world vastly different from what she knew back home that brought new challenges: "The immigration office in Germany, not knowing the language and the stress of trying to learn, cold weather, and sometimes cold people that I didn't understand," Laurie recalled. Personal struggles opened her eyes to the even harsher realities faced by forcibly displaced people arriving in a new country.
In 2015, driven by her own experiences, Laurie later began volunteering at an institution for resettled women and girls to access education and integration support, looking after their children and babies while they attended German classes. This initial step into volunteer work led her to women's refugee centers, where she took on childcare duties and helped organize special events to build a sense of community for newly resettled families.
"I came to recognize that while they were supported with most things, like finding an apartment, learning German, or document translation and assistance, what was lacking was the necessary mental health support," Laurie explains. Her own battles with visa issues and the complexities of the German immigration system fueled her desire to learn more about human rights and international law. She educated herself through online courses and stayed informed about immigration policies in both Europe and Australia.
Over the last ten years, despite being limited by her visa restrictions, Laurie sought to educate herself as much as possible to understand the dire situation of displaced people. "Learning German while facing my own mental health struggles has given me genuine compassion for people suffering from trauma and loss of family, home, and identity," she said. Driven by the worsening situation for displaced people, Laurie felt a growing need to deepen her education and contribute meaningfully to humanitarian efforts.
"Although I'd love to be able to change things from 'the top,' a career in politics seems too slow-moving for me when people need support now or yesterday! I am looking for any kind of 'in' in the humanitarian sector that can offer me a more in-depth education of the realities of working in this sector, particularly in leadership."
Her quest for knowledge and meaningful action led Laurie to In-Sight Collaborative’s mentorship program. She was thrilled to find a community of learners and collaborators to accompany her exploration of humanitarian leadership. "My goals for the program are to overcome my shyness in engaging with others over topics I care about, as well as deepen my knowledge and understanding of working in the humanitarian aid sector, leadership, and the language used around displaced people and forced migration,”she said.
Laurie reached the goals she had set out for herself, but throughout the program those goals had become more relationally focused. “My goals changed from individually trying to achieve understanding to wanting to engage more in group discussions,” she shared with enthusiasm.
One of Laurie's most profound learning experiences came unexpectedly while working at her busy café. A recently arrived asylum-seeking colleague had a mental breakdown and attempted suicide in front of everyone in the café. Navigating the intervention process with her bosses, Laurie and her colleagues tried to defend and protect him while seeking the care he needed. But the experience left everyone including Laurie feeling helpless and ill-equipped.
"The reason why this intervention went poorly is that we [the colleagues] were not equipped to deal with such a situation, and our bosses weren't prepared to face the seriousness of the situation. We wanted to protect his job but also get him the help he needed. We feared that if we called the police or an ambulance, his employment or asylum claim could be affected," Laurie explained.
Despite the challenges and emotional toll, the experience solidified Laurie’s commitment to better understanding and supporting displaced people. Laurie’s story is a powerful reminder of the impact one person’s empathy and determination can have on the broader humanitarian effort.
“I think being a leader in the humanitarian sector means having the ability to listen, making sure everyone around you feels heard but also being able to make difficult decisions when needed. I think kindness and patience are very important as well as being able to be brave in the face of adversity—something I hope to be able to master."
Following the end of the program, Laurie was driven to take concrete steps toward fostering further support in her community. "I am going to make an active effort to initiate a regular group meeting for all the women I know individually as a place to support each other and share ideas."
